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Honda has become the first manufacturer to offer fixed-price repairs on cars more than three years old.

Called Honda Happiness, the fixed-priced programme covers a range of common repairs from wiper blade replacements to new timing belts. It means that the cost of a repair will be the same irrespective of the Honda model or where in the UK it takes place.

The price includes the cost of parts, labour and VAT. All Honda models are covered except the S2000 roadster and NSX coupe.

Honda said all repair bills will be cheaper as a result of the initiative. The manufacturer claims it has benchmarked the prices with 600 independent garages to ensure they are competitive.

What Car? editor David Motton said: ‘Honda owners might no longer be able to shop around for cheaper repair prices within the franchised network, but it’s still worth looking for the most competitive quote from independent workshops.’

Look for an indepedent garages that specialise in a particular marque - many of these are given a stamp of approval by manufacturers and are called independent authorised repairers. Ensure servicing and repair work is carried out according to manufacturer guidelines. If your car is still protected by the manufacturer's warranty, you will need to use genuine parts, or parts of comparable quality, to ensure your cover is not compromised.

Examples of prices in the Honda Happiness programme include £85 for new front brake pads, £65 for a battery, £125 for a silencer and £200 for a timing-belt change.